Ducted antenna housing for small cell pole

Abstract

An antenna housing is provided that is configured to be mounted to a pole. The antenna housing has spaced upper and lower ends. A sidewall extends between and around the spaced ends to define an interior of the housing. This interior may house and/or partially conceal one or more antennas. Inlet and outlet ducting extend through the sidewall of the housing to individually cool each antenna within the interior of the housing. The inlet and outlet duct may connect to a cooling duct that is in fluid communication with a heat rejection surface of the antenna. Accordingly, each antenna may be cooled using ambient air and the heated air may be exhausted outside of the housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An antenna housing configured for attachment to a pole, comprising:
 an enclosure having an upper end, a lower end spaced from the upper end and a sidewall surface extending between the upper end the lower end, wherein the upper end, the lower end and the sidewall surface define an interior area of the enclosure; 
 an antenna unit at least partially disposed within the interior area, wherein an emitting surface of the antenna unit is directed outward from the interior area of the enclosure; 
 a first duct having a hollow interior extending between a first inlet end and a first outlet end, wherein the first inlet end opens through the sidewall surface and the first outlet end is disposed within the interior area proximate to a lower portion of the antenna unit; 
 a second duct having a hollow interior extending between a second inlet end and a second outlet end, wherein the second inlet end is disposed within the interior area proximate to an upper portion of the antenna unit and the second outlet end opens through the sidewall surface. 
 
     
     
       2. The housing of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cooling duct having an inlet end connected to the first outlet end of the first duct and an outlet end connected to the second inlet end of the second duct. 
 
     
     
       3. The housing of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a blower at least partially disposed within a fluid path defined by the first duct, the cooling duct and the second duct. 
 
     
     
       4. The housing of  claim 2 , wherein an interior of the cooling duct is in fluid communication with a heat rejection surface of the antenna unit. 
     
     
       5. The housing of  claim 2 , wherein the cooling duct is integrally formed with the antenna unit. 
     
     
       6. The housing of  claim 2 , wherein the cooling duct includes an opening in a sidewall between the inlet end and the outlet end, wherein the opening is configured to engage a portion of the antenna unit. 
     
     
       7. The housing of  claim 1 , wherein the emitting surface of the antenna unit is exposed through an antenna aperture through the sidewall surface between the upper end and the lower end. 
     
     
       8. The housing of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 an inlet aperture through the sidewall surface below the antenna aperture and above the lower end of the enclosure; and 
 an outlet aperture through the sidewall surface above the antenna aperture and below the upper end of the enclosure, wherein the inlet aperture is fluidly connected to the first inlet end of the first duct and the outlet aperture is fluidly connected to the second outlet end of the second duct. 
 
     
     
       9. The housing of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 three antenna units at least partially disposed within the interior area, wherein emitting surfaces of each antenna unit is directed outward from the interior area of the enclosure; and 
 three sets of the first duct and the second duct, wherein each antenna unit is associated with one of the three sets of ducts. 
 
     
     
       10. An antenna housing configured for attachment to a pole, comprising:
 an upper plate; 
 a lower plate spaced from the upper plate; 
 at least a first structural support extending between the upper plate and the lower plate, the structural support configured for mounting at least a first antenna thereto; and 
 at least a first shroud extending between the upper plate and the lower plate, wherein the upper plate, the lower plate and the shroud define an interior area of the housing; 
 an inlet duct having a hollow interior extending between an inlet end opening through the shroud and an outlet end disposed within the interior area of the housing; and 
 an outlet duct having a hollow interior extending between an inlet end disposed within the interior area of the housing and an outlet end opening through the shroud. 
 
     
     
       11. The housing of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a cooling duct disposed within the interior area of the housing, the cooling duct having an inlet fluidly connected to the outlet of the inlet duct and an outlet fluidly connected to the inlet of the outlet duct. 
 
     
     
       12. The housing of  claim 11 , wherein an interior of the cooling duct is in fluid communication with a heat rejection surface of a wireless antenna. 
     
     
       13. The housing of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a blower disposed within a fluid path defined by the inlet duct, the cooling duct and the outlet duct. 
 
     
     
       14. The housing of  claim 13 , wherein the blower is configured to draw air outside the housing through the inlet duct and exhaust the air out of the outlet duct. 
     
     
       15. An antenna housing configured for attachment to a pole, comprising:
 an upper plate; 
 a lower plate spaced from the upper plate; 
 at least a first structural support extending between the upper plate and the lower plate; 
 three antenna units attached to the structural support, each antenna unit having an emitting surface directed outward from an interior area defined between the spaced upper and lower plates; 
 at least a first shroud extending between the upper plate and the lower plate to at least partially enclose the three antenna units within the interior area; 
 three sets of ducts, each of the sets of ducts including:
 an inlet duct having a hollow interior extending between an inlet end opening through the shroud and an outlet end disposed within the interior area of the housing; 
 an outlet duct having a hollow interior extending between an inlet end disposed within the interior area of the housing and an outlet end opening through the shroud; and 
 a cooling duct disposed within the interior area of the housing, the cooling duct having an inlet fluidly connected to the outlet of the inlet duct and an outlet fluidly connected to the inlet of the outlet duct, wherein an interior of the cooling duct is in fluid communication with a heat rejection surface of one of the antenna units. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The antenna housing of  claim 15 , wherein each of the sets of ducts further comprises:
 a blower disposed within a fluid path defined by the inlet duct, the cooling duct and the outlet duct. 
 
     
     
       17. The antenna housing of  claim 15 , wherein each cooling duct is integrally formed with an antenna unit. 
     
     
       18. The antenna housing of  claim 15 , wherein the emitting surface of each of the antenna units is exposed through a corresponding antenna aperture through the shroud. 
     
     
       19. The housing of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 an inlet aperture through the shroud below each antenna aperture; and 
 an outlet aperture through the shroud above the antenna aperture, wherein each inlet aperture is fluidly connected to an inlet end of an inlet duct and each outlet aperture is fluidly connected to an outlet end of an outlet duct.